For Authors

Accepted manuscripts

KJAR accepts several types of manuscript, including original articles, review articles, case reports and case series.

Original article

A research article reports the results of original research and assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, presenting the relevant data and findings in an orderly, logical manner. Original articles should contain an abstract, an introduction, related work (optional — for computer science, engineering or agriculture, or where relevant to the article type), methodology, results, discussion, conclusions and references, with relevant subsection headings in between. Length should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words, excluding references.

Review

A review article summarises recent developments, improvements, discoveries and ideas within a subject, presenting an unbiased account of the current understanding and an updated perspective relevant to the journal's readership. Reviews should be no longer than 30 pages, with an abstract of around 250 words, and should run between 5,000 and 8,000 words excluding references. A review should contain an abstract, an introduction, background, a literature review and a conclusion, with references at the end.

Case report and case series

Authors are encouraged to submit case studies on precise scientific topics with strong detail, thorough investigation and clear curiosity. A case study should contain a short abstract and introduction, followed by a case description, discussion and conclusions, up to 2,500 words excluding references.

Manuscript structure

Title page

• The title should be brief but informative, as it may be used in information-retrieval systems.
• Avoid abbreviations where possible.

Abstract

• Around 250 words in a single paragraph. Follow the style of a structured abstract — objective, method, results, conclusion — but without the headings.
• Be informative rather than descriptive, and do not include citations.
• The abstract must be self-contained: no abbreviations, footnotes or references, and no displayed equations or tabular material.
• Together with the title, it serves as an index to the subjects covered and must be suitable for indexing.

Keywords

• Provide 5 to 8 keywords that accurately describe the manuscript and are common within the subject discipline.

Introduction

• Give background accessible to readers outside the field, and explain the rationale for the study.
• Include two to three paragraphs on relevant literature.
• State why the work merits publication, or list the contributions of the paper.
• Set out the layout of the manuscript.
• Number in-text citations sequentially from “1” using Arabic numerals in square brackets, placed immediately after the reference or its author, or before the closing full stop.

Related work (optional)

• Applies to computer science, engineering and agriculture submissions, or where relevant to the article type.
• Review and discuss research directly relevant to the study, mapping the current state of knowledge and the gaps the work addresses.
• Analyse previous studies critically — their methods, findings and limitations — so that the novelty and significance of the present work is clear by contrast.

Materials and methods

• Provide enough detail for an independent researcher to reproduce the study.
• Disclose the source of all materials. For new formulations, list every ingredient and its source.

Results

• Present results clearly and in a logical sequence, supported by figures and tables.
• Include the rationale behind the experimental design and the outcomes obtained.
• Reserve interpretation for the discussion, so readers can distinguish data from analysis.

Discussion

• Emphasise the new and important aspects of the study and place the results in the context of previous work.
• Address the implications of the findings and the conclusions that follow from them.
• Limitations and directions for future study may be included here. A combined results and discussion section is acceptable where appropriate.

Conclusions

• Summarise the principal findings and explain their significance in the broader scholarly and practical context.
• Outline the implications of the research, acknowledge its limitations, and suggest avenues for further inquiry.
• Reflective closing remarks or a call to action are encouraged.

Figures, tables and equations

Figures

• Supply illustrations and charts at 300 dpi.
• Refer to them as Figure 1 to Figure N using Arabic numerals.
• All figures must be original unless stated otherwise and accompanied by permission to reproduce from the copyright holder.
• Place the caption below the figure in sentence case. It must be self-contained: a brief title and a concise description.
• Explain all symbols and abbreviations used.
• Embed figures within the body text rather than collecting them at the end.
• Label multi-part figures “(a)”, “(b)” and describe each part in order within the caption.

Tables

• Number tables sequentially from Table 1 to Table N.
• Use plain black and white rules, without shading or special fonts.
• Tables must be editable, not images, and must fall within the manuscript margins.
• Embed tables within the body text rather than collecting them at the end.
• Where a table runs across two pages, repeat the header on the second page as “Table 2: Continued.”

Mathematical equations

• Use Microsoft Equation Editor or the MathType add-on.
• Submit equations in an editable format, not as images, and include them in the main text.
• Number equations referred to in the text parenthetically, for example (1), and refer to them as “equation (1)”.

Abbreviations and acronyms

• Define abbreviations and acronyms at first appearance in the text, even where already defined in the abstract.
• Common abbreviations such as IEEE, WHO, UN, DNA, SI, ac and dc need not be defined.
• Abbreviations incorporating full stops should not contain spaces.

Citations and references

Citation practice

• Acknowledge all material taken from other sources, including your own previously published work, and obtain permission where necessary.
• Do not cite your own work excessively, or give undue preference to work by colleagues or your own institution.
• Do not cite material you have not read, and do not cite advertisements or promotional content.

IEEE style

KJAR uses IEEE style at 8pt. Citations are numbered in order of appearance, enclosed in square brackets on the same line as the text, with a space before the bracket and before any punctuation. Once a source has been cited, the same number is reused for every subsequent citation of it. Every reference in the list must be cited in the text, and every citation in the text must appear in the list. Reference management software such as Mendeley, Zotero or EndNote is recommended.

Cover letter

Authors and affiliations

• The corresponding author must list all co-authors with full names, email addresses, telephone numbers, exact affiliations (department, university, city, country) and an ORCiD iD for each.

Author contribution

• KJAR follows the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy. All authors must meet authorship criteria and make substantial contributions.
• Roles include conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualisation, writing of the original draft, and writing through review and editing.
• All authors are expected to have reviewed, discussed and agreed their individual contributions as submitted by the corresponding author.

Data availability

• Include a statement describing how readers can access the data or code supporting the reported results.
• Raw data supporting the findings must be available to reviewers and editors on request.

Conflicts of interest

• Declare all interests that could be perceived as conflicting, and explain why each may represent a conflict.
• Where none exist, state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
• The submitting author is responsible for ensuring co-authors declare their interests.

Funding statement

• Name the funding body or bodies in full, followed by grant numbers in square brackets where applicable — for example: “This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy].”
• Where the study received no funding, state: “This research received no external funding.”

Acknowledgments

• Place acknowledgments at the end of the manuscript, before the references.
• Acknowledge anyone who contributed to the research or manuscript without qualifying as an author, with their permission.

How to submit

Manuscripts are submitted through the journal's online portal. Before you begin, prepare your manuscript in English using the KJAR template and complete the cover page, since both files are uploaded during submission.

Submission steps

1. Prepare your manuscript. Write in English and format the file according to the KJAR template.
2. Complete the cover page. Download the cover page and fill in every field, including co-author details and ORCiD iDs.
3. Register for an account. Registration gives you access to the submission portal and lets you track progress. You will receive an activation email.
4. Start a new submission. Sign in and choose “New Submission”.
5. Enter the manuscript details. Title, abstract, keywords, co-authors and their exact affiliations.
6. Upload your files. Add the manuscript and the cover page, specifying the document type for each.
7. Review and submit. Check everything you have entered, then click “Submit”.

Once submitted, you can follow the status of your manuscript at any time by signing in to your account. All correspondence is sent to the corresponding author's registered email address.

Publication process

KJAR follows the publication process below:

• Initial submission — on submission, the manuscript is evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief to determine its suitability for the journal.
• Initial feedback and revision — where revisions are needed, authors receive feedback on strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement. Manuscripts lacking originality, containing major scientific flaws, requiring significant language improvement, or falling outside the journal's scope may be rejected.
• Double-blind peer review — suitable manuscripts are reviewed by at least two external experts in a double-blind process. Reviewers comment on the manuscript's scientific quality, originality and clarity.
• Revision and resubmission — authors have four weeks to revise in response to reviewers' comments, using highlighting and a detailed point-by-point response. Manuscripts returned after one month are treated as new submissions.
• Final decision — the handling editor reviews all reports and makes a final decision. Authors receive the decision along with the reviewers' reports.
• Technical editing — accepted manuscripts undergo technical copy-editing, English editing and author proofreading before publication.
• Publication — finalised articles are published online and in print.
• Appeals — authors may appeal a rejection within two months by contacting the Editor-in-Chief with a detailed justification and response to the reviewers. A designated editorial team member reviews the appeal, and the final decision by the Editor-in-Chief is binding.

Article Publication Charge (APC)

Authors from Iraq who choose to publish in the Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research are required to pay an Article Publishing Charge (APC) of 150,000 Iraqi dinars. Papers for which all co-authors hold an international affiliation are exempt from the APC.

Payment methods

1. Cash — at the finance department, Presidency of Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Wrme Street 327/76, Qrga, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
2. Bank transfer (for authors residing in Iraq):
   Name: Sarhang Sarwat Hama Gul
   Account number: 2000199033
   Bank: National Bank of Iraq (NBI)
3. PayPal — for authors residing outside Iraq.

For more information, contact kjar@spu.edu.iq.

English language editing

All manuscripts must be submitted in English. Where any co-author is from a non-native English-speaking background, the journal requires a Certificate of English Editing before publication. The certificate should confirm that the manuscript has been professionally reviewed by a native English-speaking editor to ensure clarity, accuracy and polished language.

Authors may choose from any professional language-editing service available online. Please note that the journal does not handle or reimburse the cost of these services; arrangements and payment are the sole responsibility of the author(s).